Factories keep expanding but lack workers. Though labor is abundant, skills are weak and commitment low. The issue of surplus yet poorly skilled manpower is not new and factories struggling to find suitable staff is even older. In early 2025, northern Vietnam’s industrial zones saw a paradox: factories multiplied, production lines were set up, yet workers were scarce. Within six months, three major FDI manufacturers hired about 8,000 unskilled laborers. The scramble for manpower became a race not only between companies and workers, but also among recruiters themselves. Yen Dao, senior manager at Manpower Group Vietnam, called today’s labor market ‘a war to attract every worker.’ Speaking at METALEX Vietnam 2025 in HCMC, she noted that businesses are offering unprecedented benefits to fill production lines. In northern Vietnam, workers now enjoy far better incentives than before: some firms pay VND500,000 just for attending an interview, while monthly allowances of VND2–3 million on top of salaries have become standard during peak hiring season. By Q3 2025, Vietnam’s workforce aged 15 and above reached 52.3 million, continuing its upward trend. Of these, 33.5% were employed in industry and construction—second only to agriculture—highlighting the vast scale of production-sector employment. According to Vieclam24h, recruitment […]